1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to displays and models of the solar system, such as are used in science museums, and more particularly to a large scale rotating model of the solar system and to an assembly and mechanism for supporting and driving such.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Sir Isaac Newton built a model of the solar system in the seventeenth century. His machine consisted of geared disks on which were attached balls representing the planets. When the disks rotated, the `planets` appeared to rotate around the Sun. Another model is an astronomical tool used in classrooms, that has the Sun, represented by a globe, mounted on a vertical rod. Attached to the bottom of the vertical rod, and at right angles to it, is a horizontal rod on which is mounted a globe representing the Earth and a further arm holding a `Moon`. The horizontal rod can be made to rotate around the vertical rod, and the Earth and Moon thus appear to rotate around the Sun.
Similar mechanical models are known to exist in various science museums. In all cases, the globes representing the planets are attached to their motive component by some means. In general, however, none of the foregoing models express the seemingly independent movements of the planets in space around the Sun, and the sheer emptiness and large scale of the solar system. It would be easier to visualize the planets if they were not so obviously tied to their supports. Thus, there exists a need for a device capable of displaying planets orbiting the Sun, where the planets are `floating` in space. At the same time, the device should be simple in operation and suitable for public educational viewing.